Israeli strikes kill 31 in Lebanon, including children, health ministry says

Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of 31 people, including at least four children and three women, Lebanon's health ministry reported Tuesday. Approximately 40 individuals sustained injuries during the attacks.

The heightened strikes come after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an intensification of attacks against Hezbollah, the militant group based in Lebanon. Netanyahu stated the aim is to crush Hezbollah, which he accuses of attacking Israeli soldiers with drones.

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Israeli airstrikes have killed 31 people in southern Lebanon on Tuesday.

The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel escalated following attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel in late February. After Iran's then-supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the U.S.-Israeli attacks, Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in retaliation. This prompted Israel to initiate airstrikes against Hezbollah across Lebanon.

Since early March, Israeli attacks in Lebanon have claimed over 3,200 lives, according to Lebanon's health ministry via Reuters. The World Health Organization (WHO) noted that several hospitals in southern Lebanon have been destroyed or rendered inoperable due to these Israeli attacks. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities reported that 23 Israeli soldiers have been killed during the same period. A ceasefire negotiated in mid-April has been extended, but clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli military persist.

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The attacks are intended to crush Hezbollah, which Netanyahu accuses of attacking Israeli soldiers with drones.